Desperation
by Veela of Erised
Summary: Snape brought to Voldemort before the Second War begins. "Oh yes, if you meddle, Severus, you will most certainly bow to death. You will find no mercy."
1. Desperation

            **This fic is about an encounter between Voldemort, Snape, and Lucius before the Second War began.  **

**                I do not own Harry Potter, and unless JK Rowling is reading this, neither do you.**

"Severus," called a high, icy voice.  

                "Yes, my Lord?" 

                Snape stood before a tall hooded figure that could have easily been mistaken as an elongated shadow of a surrounding Death Eater in the dim light. Long, white hands issued from its black sleeves.

                "You were one of my most-faithful, always there for me."

                "Yes, master," replied Snape, with nervousness edging up in his voice.

                "You served me well because you believed in my fight, unlike Wormtail, here, who served me out of fear."

                The frigid voice ceased and then broke the eerie silence again.  "But, I am disappointed in you. I thought you served me, and only me.  On the eve of my greatest mistake, many of you left me."

                Voldemort looked around at each of the draped figures gathered around him and then swiftly turned back around at Snape.  "But you, Severus, you left me too.  How foolish I had been to assume you were loyal.  I was wrong about you Severus," he snapped coldly, "you were just like the others."

                "But, my Dark Lord, I…"  

                "Silence," barked Voldemort in his shrill tone.

                "There is no need to lie to me.  How quickly you forget. I am also a master of Occlumency.

Your nerves aren't helping you cover up the truth."

                Severus tightened up his face.

                "Ah, speaking of the truth Severus," said Voldemort, his sickly face crinkling in a sly smile, "Dumbledore will never think of granting you that position which you so desire.  Severus Snape," he cackled. "Severus Snape, the lowly Potions Master.  Not exactly what you had in mind, eh?  Not, that it matters to you.  As long as you get Dumbledore's trust and Hogwarts protection, there's no reason for you to fear me.  Tell me Severus, if given the chance to come back, without any punishment from me, would you?"

                Snape opened his mouth and then shut it almost instantly.

                "Of course you would.  Not really a hard choice, is it? You want power, Severus. It's something you crave.  You can't exercise your authority, because you have none.  I know what you want, Severus, you want more power than me, the Dark Lord Voldemort."

                "My Lord, I'm afraid I do not…"

                Voldemort edged closer to Snape, "How can you gain more power when you can't even finish your sentence?"  

                "My Lord…"

                "You have done everything in your power to keep me from getting to the Potter boy.  Why bother?  Don't you realize I could just finish you off?  I'd just throw you aside.  Why do you make every effort to foil my plans?  Why did you take it upon yourself to find out exactly what Quirell was up to?  Why did you try to save Potter at his first quidditch match?  Why do you always follow Potter around?  Why do you care to meet up with him and put a damper on whatever it is he's doing?  Why did you try to shut me from his thoughts?  Why on earth did you join the Order?  When surely you have nothing against what I do.  Severus, you have the mark of the Death Eaters, you will always be a Death Eater to me.  What good did your foolishness do you?  Sirius is dead and the rest are soon to follow.  In the end, you were brought to me, facing me, the Dark Lord Voldemort.  What are you going to do now?"

"My Lord I was simply doing my duty."

"Duty?"  

Snape looked intently at the snake-like face of Voldemort.

He hissed, "I never asked you to do anything.  You weren't there to help me after that night, what would I want with you now?"  

Snape swallowed hard and continued, "My Lord…"

"Do not call me that," shrieked Voldemort.  "You are nothing to me but a greasy, hooked nose nuisance.  As much as I hate the Marauders, they were right." 

Snape gave him a contemptuous glare and spoke through gritted teeth, "I only heard part of the prophecy.  But, I know there was another.  There was another born on July 31. Perhaps, my Lor…, I mean perhaps Potter  was not the one."

Voldemort's hooded head tilted downward towards Snape then he whispered, " Not the one?"

"No, Neville Longbottom shares the same day."

"The Longbottoms have been taken care of, and the boy is of no use," snapped Voldemort.

Then a figure came out of the darkness.

"My Lord?"

"Yes, Lucius?" 

                "Perhaps Severus is lying.  He could want to keep Potter alive in order to kill you.  Just like the prophecy."

"You're right, Lucius," he said slowly, "but this time our friend is not lying.  They did defy me thrice."

Snape looked eagerly up at Voldemort.

"Then, Severus, explain to me how he survived.  How did 'The Boy Who Lived' live?"

"His mum…"

"No, don't remind me of my greatest mistake.  I know I overlooked her.  No, tell me how he has survived all of his encounters with the Dark Lord if he is not the one from the prophecy?  I know that Longbottom shares the same day.  But you must think me thick to believe he's the one."

"No, I was only…"

"Only what?"

Voldemort reached into his robes and grasped his wand. He pulled out it into sight and pointed it threateningly at Snape's chest.  

Snape's fearful eyes rested on it. 

"It takes only one spell, Severus," he said menacingly, "I believe you know the two words."

Voldemort's red eyes glowed as he spoke, "There's nothing you can do now.  Powerless, aren't you?  How does it feel to have your plans foiled? Believe me, it would bring me great pleasure."

Snape breathed heavily and began to shake violently and fall slowly towards the ground.  Eying the wand, now prodding him, even more desperately. 

"Really, I'm glad the old fool, Dumbledore, loves Potter so much.  That's what I was hoping for.  He'd be harder for you to get.  But when you started to give him Occlumency lessons, I realized you were shutting me from his mind.  That's why I called you here; to finish you off."

Voldemort lowered his aim at Snape as he landed to the ground.

"What can you do with Potter?  He won't help you, you know.  What would a pureblood want with a half-blood?  Potter's my equal. But there's something he has, that I don't, his stupid mum's love.  Once I get rid of him I'll be even more powerful.  Tell me, Severus, how will you defeat me then when you can't defeat me now?"

His blood red, serpent-like eyes shone into Snape's.  "What will the Head of Slytherin House do now?"  

A terrified Snape looked pleadingly over at Lucius Malfoy.

Voldemort quickly looked over in Lucius' direction.  "What's Lucius to do for you?  His money and friendship are absolute, when you have betrayed the Dark Lord."

He then turned back to Snape and sneered, " I agree with Dumbledore you would not have been good for Defense Against the Dark Arts, _Snivellus_."

A look of terror and hatred were apparent in Snape's eyes.

"My Lord?"

Without turning around Voldemort replied, "Yes Lucius?"

"My Lord, I was wondering why you did not perform the Death Curse now.  He doesn't deserve any delayed death."

"That's quite something for a friend to say, Lucius."

"He's no friend of mine, my Lord."  

"Ah, there you have it, Severus," he said as he stared down at Snape. "Terrible thing when someone denies you their friendship, isn't it?"

Voldemort surveyed Snape for quite sometime and then stated, "I'm not going to kill him."

"But, my Lord!"

"Enough, Lucius," he shouted icily.

"No, I'm not going to kill him."

He looked down at Snape, who had a look of immense relief, as he lifted his wand from his chest.

                "No, it would prove me cowardly.  I'll admit it would have pleased me greatly to get rid of him.  But if I have learned anything from last time, it was that I killed too much.  Let them fight it out.  Let's see who the better wizard is.  In the end, we will all see."

Voldemort stood straight and continued, "Get up Severus, the Second War is about to begin."


	2. The Weapon

Just a short update on Desperation. JK owns these characters and  I don't; neither do you. 

Please read and review!

 Lifting or Archiving: Absolutely not.  I have my own, you make your own.

Veela of Erised

Voldemort eased up as Snape sank lower to the ground, cradling his wand in his arms.  He stared victoriously down at Snape then slowly edged back into the darkness.  

Snape hesitantly lifted himself up.  Every voluntary movement constrained by his paralyzing fear.  

"That's it, Severus; up you go," mocked Voldemort.

Snape gazed up scornfully while Voldemort laughed with the utmost triumph.  

He hissed through the cackles, "How does it feel?  Severus, tell me how you feel now.  This is much more than picking sides, you know.  Oh yes, if you meddle, Severus, you will most certainly bow to death.  I will have you brought to me and you will find no mercy."

"Was that mercy you showed me?"  Snape spat, "I think not.  You fear Dumbledore.  You fear what's to happen."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me," he shot, "you fear him.  His being threatens your very existence."

"Ah, yes," Voldemort said with a sly smile, "That old fool doesn't matter anymore.  You see, the war will start shortly.  I have no need to fear."

"You have no weapon, there will be no way you can win."

"Oh, Severus," he whispered, "No, I believe I have my weapon.  Yes, it's right in front of me."…………..

                                                                                                                                |………..

                                                                                                                                            |………..Hmmm…. cliffhanger!


	3. Living Memories

**A/N:  **I know most of you are just going to have a heart attack when you see this.  No, you aren't imagining things:  I have updated!

I'm not really sure where this will take me.  I've been writing this as I go, can you tell?  I'm thinking about going into a Snape/Lilly thing from the past.  But we'll see.  

**Disclaimer:  **I own nothing but the fic plot.  And neither do you.

"You won't get him.  You know you won't.  You can't get close to him now."  Snape's breath began to pick up, "You have no weapon."

"You meddling fool, _you_ are my weapon."  His demonic red orbs shone through his sickly face as he laughed, "You will not join me, I know, Severus.  But I can make you help me.  I can make you my weapon."

Snape grunted through barred teeth, "Not this time Riddle, not this time."

"Ah Severus, have I brought back memories?  Surely you remember; I can't see how you'd forget."  Voldemort narrowed his eyes at Snape as he smiled crookedly, "In fact, I can't see how any of us would forget.  Yes, it seems like only yesterday when I had you under the curse.  I must admit you were a great deal of help.  But alas, all good things must come to an end."  

Snape shuddered as he continued, "You did put up a good fight, I can't argue there.  But in the end I was stronger."

"That wasn't strength," Snape shouted, "only cowardice."

"Oh believe me Severus, had I really wanted your family dead I would have killed them all myself."

"So killing them was merely an act of duty on my part, was it?"

Voldemort added with a sarcastic sense of sadness, "Now Severus, you aren't seeing things in my perspective.  It was a difficult decision.  But it needed to be done.  And may I add, it proved to be quite entertaining.  If only you could understand."

"There's nothing to understand, " he blurted, "I don't want to see things in your perspective!"

"Just like Potter," he snarled.  "Isn't it funny how tragedy strikes the ones you love?"

"Don't bring Potter into this!"

"Oh but I must drag his name into this.  He's the very reason you're here."

Snape lowered his head.  He surely wasn't prepared for what was to come.

"Yes, those eyes.  Whenever you see his eyes, you think of her.  That soft, ginger hair blowing gently.  Her smile; her warm, friendly smile towards, not you, but James."  He said coyly with a sly smirk, "Stabbing too close at your heart, am I, Severus?  Perhaps I should twist my knife harder?"


End file.
